Avi Blizovsky
Who will hold the keys to the International Space Station?
The International Space Station currently being built in space may move
in the future into private hands. NASA Director General Dan Goldin said on the day
last Friday because "we hope to be able to give the keys to the station
The new for entrepreneurs who will see this as an opportunity." According to Goldin, to NASA
There is no interest in operating the space station, whose construction will be completed in 2004
The station, known as the ISS (International Space Station), is being built
Gradually in space, and astronauts from the USA, Russia and Europe will be manned
the first parts of it in the coming months.
Goldin said that if this is done, control of the station will be transferred
space in 5 to 10 years. "In an era where NASA budgets
are shrinking, the agency cannot afford to operate either
Activities in orbit around the Earth, and also to go beyond its borders
and explore the solar system," Goldin said.
Goldin spoke before about 400 engineers, scientists and space entrepreneurs at the conference
The annual Space Frontier Foundation. The foundation consists of several groups
Private companies interested in carrying out economic projects in space.
According to Goldin, companies that want to participate in the operating tender will have to
To prove that they have the knowledge and financial backing suitable for this type of project.
Except for the matter of operating the station, NASA has already decided to allow it in the past
Private ownership of about 30% of it.
The space station is not the first field to be commercialized in space. Dispatch
The commercial satellites into space were for years the exclusive property of
U.S. But in recent years, China, Russia and France have changed
For serious competitors. Most launches of satellites into space
are carried out by government bodies, but also operate in the field
Semi-private companies such as the French "Arian" and several companies
Russian.
A number of private entrepreneurs are currently even considering building a launching site in the heart of the city
The Pacific Ocean, near the equator. In this area, ball spin
The land gives greater momentum to the missiles and makes it easier to launch them.
Another initiative, the establishment of a launch facility in South Africa, is also involved
Arrow missile developer Dov Raviv.
In addition, a fleet of private satellites is gradually being developed around the globe
Country. Until now, it was mostly about communication satellites, which enable
to transmit live TV broadcasts from any point on the planet.
However, in the last year the launch of 66 satellites of a company was completed
Iridium, who create a worldwide cellular communication network. also
Global-Star is in the midst of establishing a similar network. membership
Other private companies develop satellites for various needs, among them
Microsoft, IT&T and Boeing.
The beneficiaries are subcontractors of NASA
The main beneficiaries of the privatization of the management of the International Space Station
The new one will be manufacturers of aviation products such as Boeing and Lockheed
Martin. These companies have so far served as NASA subcontractors,
and gained a lot of knowledge and experience in building spaceships. Therefore, they are owned
The most likely to win the tender. Today they deal, among other things
Also in planning models of launching means, which will save the need for disposal
from the fuel tank while taking off.
Even smaller companies dealing in the space sector will benefit from a parade
Such, because they will work as subcontractors of the station operators. between
These companies will be, perhaps, also the Israeli Aerospace Industry.
In the past, Israeli science ministers tried to convince governments to give companies
from Israel to build subsystems for the International Space Station. seen
It will be easier to convince private companies, such as Boeing,
which maintains ongoing working relations with Israel.
{Appeared in Haaretz newspaper, 27/9/1999{
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